What is math rock?

What is the gist of a music beginning from the underground culture of the 1980s and lending itself to progressive acts such as King Crimson or Frank Zappa? Not the music of seemingly elusive actuaries, statisticians or accountants (though they may appreciate the name and timing). According to Wikipedia, math rock is "characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures (including irregular stopping and starting), angular melodies, and dissonant chords."

Huddle does this well. In the first listen of All These Fires, the Toronto indie-pop quartet provides a bounce and step with the first song, "Islands," but gives way to more deeper and darker melodies. "Sleepwalker" is written about a sleep disorder. Influences of The Smiths come out in the third song, "Brow-line Pictures," and the fourth track, "Dark Times," is coupled with a haunting female vocalist.

Recorded at the Lincoln County Social Club and Angles Up Studio in Toronto, All These Fires was produced by Chris Stringer (from bands like Ohbijou, Timber Timbre) and engineered by Stringer and Josh Korody.

The band is made up of Clay Jones (guitar) and Mark Satterthwaite (vocals/guitar) as well as some musicians from Toronto: Teddy Wilson (drums) and Dave Lucas (bass). After six years of working together on award-winning films and televisions scores for stations like CBC, MTV, The Movie Network and The Comedy Network, Jones and Satterthwaite brought their poppy songwriting together but never let go of the influences they enjoyed: there's a hint of Bowie, The National, White Denim and the aforementioned Smiths.

The album clashes and tightens. There's rhythm and clarity, complexity and calmness, and eerie and majestic chords playing while the vocals shine like a full moon cast on a still lake. You can't mistake the labour that was involved with the production of this album — you can tell this was no trivial creation and one wonders what Huddle brings to the table at a live performance.

Go and buy this album to get a sample of what math-rock mixed with poppy toe-tapping music should sound like!

For more information, visit huddlemusic.com or their CBC Radio 3 page, radio3.cbc.ca/#/bands/Huddle.